This invention relates to an apparatus for drying hoses in a fire hall.
When returning from a fire, the fire truck or pumper truck carries hoses which are at least wet on the interior and exterior surfaces and in a worst condition can be frozen with the layer of ice filling the hose and thus forming a blockage. Hoses of this type are generally approximately fifty (50) feet in length with suitable quick release couplings at either end for connection to the pumper truck or other equipment at the outer end. It is of course therefore essential that when the hoses are returned to the fire hall they be properly dried before storage to avoid deterioration of the hose and also to ensure that the hose is fully available for use at the next occasion.
Some fire halls include a tower which is at least fifty feet in height in which case one end of the hose can be attached to a suitable support which is then pulled up to the tower allowing the remainder of the hose to hang downwardly for draining and drying.
Many fire halls and particularly those designed recently do not include a tower of this type and hence cannot accomodate the hoses suspended in vertical orientation.
One arrangement which has been proposed as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,931 (Harless) in which a frame structure includes a plurality of brackets each for supporting a respective hose so that a centre portion of the hose can be looped over the bracket and then the whole support raised vertically to a height of at least twenty five feet so that the hoses are draped and hang downwardly in two halves. This arrangement is unsatisfactorY in that it will be difficult to hang the hoses over the brackets while the support is at ground level since the hoses must be draped across the floor. Secondly, the action of simply folding the hose around a single pin can cause wear or damage to the hose structure at the central location leading to a reduced life. Thirdly many fire halls do not even have the capability of lifting a device through the height of twenty five feet so this arrangement is not possible.
A further proposal has been made in which there are provided a series of racks or shelves along one wall of the fire wall which project outwardlY from the wall in parallel overlying relationship. The hoses can then be laid onto the shelves so that a number of hoses lie parallel along the shelves. The length of the shelf is approximately fifty feet to receive the full length of the hose. This arrangement has however the disadvantage that it does not act to properly dry the hose and significant of water quantities can remain in the hose thus increasing the weight and difficulty in handling the hose and also leading to the possibility of degradation of the hose and a reduced life. In this case a shallow angle of inclination can be provided along the length of the hose but this is not sufficient to allow all the water to properly drain from the lower end.